8,300-year-old Scottish woods, fox cubs on the road… These photographers who want to make us “reflect on our relationship with nature”

It is the most prestigious wildlife photography award. It is organized by the Natural History Museum in London. The winners of the 60th edition have just been designated and the call for applications for the 61st is launched on Monday September 14. The exhibition of these magnificent photos, amusing or sad, gives a panorama of the fauna and flora in the world. These photographers have a front row seat to observe the evolution of the planet.

A gnarled, dark tree in a forest where we see red, yellow, green and even white with a rare form of lichen. It is in Scotland, in the Highlands, in a wood at least 8,300 years old where pollution does not occur, hence these colors and this very particular lichen.

This is the photo of Fortunato Gatto. “My first objective is not to take a photo but to develop a relationship with the environment, to the point of becoming part of it, he explains. We want to raise awareness. We’re talking about the future here. It is very important to defend the beauty of nature and share it. Young people need to know that our world is full of beauty. I want to influence them.”

Maxime Colin took his photo right next to his home, in the Chevreuse valley. We see a fox cub sitting on the road on a bend. It’s night, he is lit by street lamps, he seems to be staring at the photographer. “It shows how nature adapts to us and how we do not adapt to nature, he says. This family of foxes, I show that they are there, in the middle of houses and roads. We can’t even leave them a little space. It makes you think about our relationship with nature.”

Because a few hours after this photo, the young photographer found the animal dead, in exactly the same place, crushed by a car.